The Simple Art of Desensitization
by Ximena182
Summary: 11 year old Mylene meets 10 year old Shadow Prove. A crybaby yet hyperactive kid. She dislikes him because "he is weak". But she appreciates him because he is her only friend. She just needs to desensitize him so he would be stronger.
1. When Mylene met Shadow

_I'm in a writing mood these days. Especially with Bakugan fics. This fanfic is based on a Shadow centric doujin I made long ago. You may think that Shadow is a bit out of character here but keep reading the chapters so you will understand._

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the plot.

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><p><strong>The Simple Art of Desensitization<strong>

**Mylene's POV:**

They knew me as the ice queen. They called me intimidating and harsh. And I believed them cause I'm like that. It's okay for me to have no friends. Feelings are for the weak. That's what I've always thought. As I walked home after a boring day of school I saw him again. That weird albino boy of the long tongue. That stupid boy…I didn't know why everybody picked on him. Yeah…he had that unusual white hair, red eyes and that freakish long tongue but these were not reasons to tease him. I didn't know why the other kids hit him so much. He didn't do bad things. They called him all kinds of mean names, but they really, really liked to call him "baby doll" because he cried as one of those dolls for little girls everytime he's being bullied.

His name was…Shadow Prove. Spiky white hair and blah blah blah….the eyes and tongue thing. Ten years old. One year younger than me. He never uttered a word and his grades were so poor that he even made the retards look smart!

Those kids were teasing him again. Pulling his hair and tongue and trying to pick his eyes to see if his eyes were red because of the blood. I didn't wanted to save him but he looked so weak and pathetic as he laid on the floor crying and pleading. I did what I had to do.

-Leave him alone-I whispered as I put my angry face. It worked cause they freaked out and ran away. Cowards. That Shadow boy was still there on the floor, whimpering.

-Are you okay?-I asked him as I carried him and wiped the blood from his hair and legs.

-Yeah, I could have got rid of them but thanks anyway!-he said in an unusual cheerful tone as he stood up and wiped the tears.

And he smiled. I was kind of shocked because his freakish long tongue was hanging out. He gave me one last look and he ran away to his house, maybe.

The next day I went up to school. I was surprised to see him waiting at the door. Waiting for me. He greeted me while laughing with his tongue out again. The walk to school was a living hell. That hyperactive idiot bouncing around me all the way. He was so annoying…

-So Mylene…what are you gonna do today, my friend?

-Shut up. You're not my friend.

-You should or I'm going to bother you for the rest of your life!-he screamed happily as his weird smile widened

Ugh…I shouldn't have saved him. For some reason that I don't know he understood my act as friendship. Days, months passed and people though that we were best friends or maybe we were in another kind of relationship….

The truth is that he followed me everywhere, talking nonsense and sticking his tongue out. So hyper and happy. But he was only like this around me. Around the others he cried as everyone teased him. Sometimes he even used me as his human shield. But this was only at lunchtime and recess because, as I said before, I was older than him and we were from different classrooms. So everytime after school I wasn't surprised to see him with a purple eye or a broken arm. And he didn't seem to mind it around me.

He was weak

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><p><strong>NA:**Please don't kill me for making Shadow a crybaby as a kid! He's still annoying and has his tongue habit! Everything will be explained as I upload moar chapters.

_¿Reviews please?_


	2. Shadow's decision

Zero comments! Definitely people preferred my doujin version than the written one. Seems that only I enjoyed this.

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><p><strong>The Simple Art of Desensitization<strong>

**Shadow's POV:**

Years passed and Mylene and I were the best of the best friends! Since she saved me after that day. I still remember it. She was sooo awesome! She put a scary face that made everyone freak out and ran away!

And we became best friends but Mylene was always in her "ice queen" attitude. She was so boring! I tried to make her laugh with my tongue but that annoyed her more... Also she was really helpful 'cause her presence made everyone ran away and no one hurt me again! ...Or at least not for the lunchtime, because…Did I mention that she was older than me and we were from different classrooms?

One day after Mylene's 14th birthday I gave her the best present ever!

_-_HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYLENE! ONE YEAR AND YOU GET OLDER! HERE, THIS IS YOUR PRESENT…A DRAWING OF YOU! I PUT A LOT OF EFFORT ON IT…Hey…What are you…? NOOO! DON´T MAKE A SPITBALL WITH IT! NOOO!

She just looked at it for 5 seconds, made a ball with it and dropped it. For ruining my present I licked her face. I knew she hated when my tongue was out…I still don't know why…I mean…my tongue is awesome!

Then **it** happened

What changed our lives

Some weird cards started raining from the sky! Mylene and I got some. She seemed interested and kicked me away from her house in order to examine them. The day after, Mylene showed me some kind of blue ball, called a backo…bakugan…I didn't know what it was but it looked so cool! It´s name was Elico Aquos and he said he was Mylene's partner. At school everyone played with those gate cards and bakugans! I even had mine and my attribute was Darkus…but I wasn't strong yet.

However it was kinda weird that only Mylene received a talking Bakugan! That made me so jealous! Why her? I wanted one too!

-WHY DO YA HAVE A TALKING BAKUGAN? I'M AWESOME TOO! I DESERVE ONE!

-Shadow, shut up...everyone is looking at us...And if you don't have one is because you're weak and...

Ugh...there she goes again...She and her stupid speech about the strong and the weak…blah, blah…Elico was hers because she was strong…and I lacked from it…blah blah blah…

That bakugan, Elico, made Mylene more popular at school, but she was still scary and intimidating. And since I was her best friend I was awesome too! Yeah, the kids still teased me for my tongue and hair and I cried but I knew they were jealous because of my awesome tongue and for my friendship with Mylene!:

-Shadow, I need you to take care of Elico

-But why?

-Everyone wants to brawl with me and Elico. I can't. I'm too strong for those idiots. Right, Elico?

-Yeah, they're a waste for us.

-There you two go again-for me that stupid Elico was a second Mylene-…But what I'm supposed to do?

-Put it in your backpack. Here-she handed me that stupid ball

-Don't worry, Mylene! You can count on me!-I said with my best smile, tongue included. She needed to know that I was a person to trust…well…at least for her…

-Take good care of him or you will see-she said with another of her glares. I like when she does that.

I just needed to take care of that idiot chatting ball. How difficult was that?

The answer came after recess. My backpack was all scrapped and full of hate messages like "Fuck you" "Die, you damn albino" and "Outkast". I nearly cried but then I remembered that Mylene was going to came in 2 hours so I checked the backpack. Where was that idiot blue ball? Mylene was gonna come!

Too late…she was behind me

-Ah, Shadow-…about Elico…

-Don't say anything. Just don't say anything!-I screamed as I ran away downstairs. Then I fell from the stairs like 2 floors or more. As everything blacked out I saw my stupid classmates that came to torturing me some more. All that was that stupid blue ball's fault. I failed to Mylene…

"_Mylene, please come and save me"_

When I woke up I was in a hospital bed. My entire body hurt like Hell! Mylene was next to me. I was so happy to see her!

-Mylene!-I squealed trying to glomp her

And you wanna know what she did? She slapped and dropped me to the bed!

-You did it again, imbecile

-What?

-They tease you and you cry. You need to become stronger, Shadow!

-But Mylene!

-But nothing! Don´t be such a baby and defend yourself. I won't be there forever to protect you. You need to walk alone

-AND WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, HUH?

-Like I would know! Attack them in response or try to laugh at everything since you're a crazy clown

-DID YOU JUST CALLED ME A CRAZY CLOWN?

She was going to left but not after showing me…the idiot blue ball? How? Did she had it all the time?

-I knew that you were too stupid to take care of it so I took it from your backpack. I was going to tell you that but you ran away and fell. But at least Elico is allright-she said with a mocking tone as she slammed the door and left

-MYLENE, WAIT! I AM STRONG!

I got up from the bed in order to stop her but then I saw something I never want to see again.

In a mirror that was in the room. It was my reflection, yeah…That was me. But …there was something different 'bout it. I couldn't be that boy in the mirror! I saw nothing but a stupid sad boy with bruises and tears over his face! I smashed my face against the mirror so I wouldn't have to see that face again. It hurt like Hell and I wanted to cry again but I realized that she hated everytime I cried in front of her and called me weak. I realized that Mylene and her stupid crap about the weak and the strong were right. I was weak…or at least for her. I had to hide my feelings. But not in the way Mylene does!

"…_Or try to laugh at everything since you_'re_ a crazy clown"_

That was it…If Mylene wanted me to be strong I would laugh at everything. I was scared for was I was about to do…but I had to try it. For Mylene. I smashed my head against the window…I don't know how many times...but when I stopped crying and I began laughing with my cool tongue out instead I knew that I was ready. Glass shards were everywhere and blood was dripping out my face. Oh joy.

I was stronger

And that was what Mylene wanted for me

As long as she was my friend everything was ok.

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><p><strong>NA: This is Shadow´s POV so that means that some parts are exaggerated. But the mirror scene wasn´t. And the rain of card also happened in Vestal.**

_¿Reviews please?_


	3. A spark of desensitization

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the plot.

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><p><strong>The Simple Art of <strong>**desensitization**

Mylene was waiting outside the hospital room. It had been 3 days after Shadow's accident but she was still there. In the deepest of her, she worried about him. Elico was with her, floating around.

-Mylene…

-What do you want now?

-You do worry about him, don't ya?

-Oh, shut up!

-But that doesn't give the right to talk to him like you did!

-Elico, quit talking now or I'll throw you to the garbage!

-Sorry….

-It's just that…Shadow can't count on me forever. He needs to defend himself. He's weak.

Mylene thought about her only friend. Why did he follow her? It was because she saved him that day but…she was so cold and distant with him and yet, he still liked her and wanted to please her at everything. He was funny and jester like. And she had to admit that all the times he wanted her to laugh, it worked. She was just too proud to admit it and acted as it nothing happened. But he was too emotional and always thought more with his heart than his mind, so unlike her. They weren't kids anymore and Shadow realized that Mylene was a GIRL and became infatuated with her, in his own special way. But to Mylene he was still the same idiot she could use. For her he was more like a plague. And Shadow was too stupid to see it. He knew it. But ignored it, believing that Mylene someday would see him with different eyes. She knew it because he told her that once, laughing with his tongue out.

Maybe…she should apologize with him…No! No way! Even it was her fault she shouldn't. She was too proud for it.

As she was thinking about it, she felt behind, a familiar tongue running around her neck. Without seeing who it was, she kicked the person in the face. It was Shadow.

-Shadow! Don't freak me out like that again!-then she looked again at him.

Yes…he was sticking his tongue as usual. But something was gone. His face was bloodstained and battered and she could see tiny shards of glass in his face. And a trail of blood from the room to Shadow´s face.

She looked at him with sorrow. What happened? Then she remembered what she said before

"_Attack them in response or try to laugh at everything since you're a crazy clown"_

Why did she have to say it? Was it really her fault about what happened? As she was thinking about it, Shadow smiled childishly and looked at her, obliviously to the blood and pain, laughing with a new freakish laugh and sticking his tongue out.

-I won't cry anymore Mylene. Can be friends again?-he smiled as it nothing happened

Mylene sighed. She was kinda shocked for a while to see her friend changed like that. He did that for her. To prove her that he wasn't as weak as she thought. As long as he won't be the crybaby Shadow again so it was ok with her. She knew that something in him was gone. But he proved her that he was strong, so it was ok.

-Yeah, whatever. Let's go-she sighed again as she left the hospital

Shadow smiled

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><p><strong>NA: **Ugh...R&R plz?


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